*NOTE: Only students that have been approved for Off Campus as part of the Housing Selection process can live off campus. Please refer to the “Housing Selection” website for information about the Off-Campus Housing approval guidelines and process.
PURPOSE:
The Off-Campus Housing Guide is to assist students who are potentially exploring the idea of living off campus. The information and links below offer resources and suggestions in searching and preparing an off campus housing search. Please note that, unless explicitly created by Pitzer, concepts below are only recommendations and most sources are open access.
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Who else will you live with?
- Who else will you live with?
- Living by yourself
- Pros
- Do not have to depend on others for financial costs, cleaning, etc.
- Cons
- Can lose a sense of social connection
- Can be the most expensive option
- Living with other students/friends
- Pros
- Shared experience and age!
- Consider sharing each other’s class/work schedules
- Can share items to reduce costs (furniture)
- Cons
- Have to be clear on expectations around money
- Who pays rent and how
- How should money be talked about? When is it due and to who?
- How are costs split up? (Food, utilities, etc.)
- Have to communicate around other issues
- Cleaning – Kitchens, bathrooms, living rooms
- Shared items – TV, clothing, etc.
- Noise
- Guests
- Living with strangers and non-students
- Pros
- Maybe don’t have to engage with as much, less shared experience
- Cons
- Many unknowns about people you live with
- Living with family
- Pros
- Often a great way to cut costs
- Can feel familiar, have potential family support
- Cons
- Lack of privacy or sharing space with fellow students
- Living with pets
- Pros
- Cons
- Be sure to communicate about
- Any known allergies
- Where pet can and cant go in the house
- Who is to take care of the animal and how
- Where animal is when owner is not around
- What to do about any damages and additional costs
- How to communicate about impacts (noise, smells, etc.)
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Searching for a place
Searching for a place
- Type of Landlord
- Rental Company/Apartment Complex
- Private landlord
- Cost of living in that area
- Amenities
- Pools, gyms, parking
- Laundry
- Community or private?
- Coins – where will you get your coins from?
- Security
- Utilities included?
- Water, trash, electricity, gas, internet, cable, etc.
Searching Resources
- Websites
- Other useful sources:
- Claremont
- Bonita Terrace 660 W. Bonita Ave. 909-626-6500
- Cambridge Apts. 116 N. Mountain Ave. 909-624-3055
- Claremont Apts. 1250 N. Indian Hill Blvd. 909-624-1325
- Claremont Gardens 848-856 Bonita Ave. 909-625-3080
- Claremont Pacifica 750 W. Bonita Ave. 909-621-6250
- Claremont Palms 750 W. San Jose Ave. 909-626-0793
- Indian Hill Villas 516 S. Indian Hill Blvd. 909-624-2342
- Oakwood Apts. 680 Bucknell 909-626-5819
- Oasis KGI Commons 111 Bucknell Ave. 213-444-8235 oasis@americancampus.com
- Plum Tree Apts. 284 N. Carnegie 909-626-1234
- Spring Hill Garden Apts. 410 S. Indian Hill 909-626-1914
- Upland
- Arbor Park Apts. 859 N. Mountain Ave. 909-985-7368
- Barlow-Concord 1012-1080 W. 7th St. 909-982-7302
- Canyon Club 1539 7th St. 909-982-7514
- College Park 250-M College Park Dr. 909-399-0800
- Country Club Villas 1604 Medinah Cir. 909-946-6877
- Foothill Ridge Apts. 1334 W. Foothill Blvd. 909-985-1957
- Mountain Springs 1413 San Bernardino Rd. 909-946-6626
- Mountain View Apts. 1256 Arrow Hwy. 909-946-0100
- Newport Terrace 818 N. Campus Ave. 909-981-7700
- Northwoods 1622 W. Arrow Rt. 909-946-0169
- Parc Claremont 1826 W. Arrow Rt. 909-982-5884
- Parkview 850 N. Benson Ave. 909-985-6303
- Pebble Grove 1290 W. Arrow Hwy. 909-982-7979
- Rancho Monte Vista 2100 W. Arrow Rte 909-920-4500
- Upland Village Green 1420 Chaffee St. 909-946-4955
- Vista Via 1430 W. Foothill Blvd. 909-946-3495
- San Dimas
- San Dimas Canyon Apts. 301 N. San Dimas 909-599-5586
- La Verne
- Amber Ridge Town Homes 3421 Foothill Blvd. 909-599-5586
- La Verne Woods 3569 D St. 909-593-4713
- Shadow Mountain 2132 Blossom Ln. 909-593-4123
- Pomona
- El Sereno 2870 N. Towne Ave. 909-621-6072
- Foothill Village 450 W. Foothill Blvd. 909-593-9316
- Indian Hill Apts. 235 W. Grove Ave. 909-593-6714
- South Ridge 150 W. Drake St. 909-596-2395
- Terramonte Apts. 150 W. Foothill Blvd. 909-593-6130
- Villa del Sol 235 West Grove Street 909-593-6714
- Montclair
- Cambridge Park 9200 Monte Vista 909-626-3511
- The Pines 9550 Fremont Ave. 909-624-0316
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- Rancho Cucamonga
- Arrow Meadows 8701 Arrow Rte. 909-931-5777
- Evergreen Apts. 10730 Church St. 909-945-2562
- Mission Village 7781 Archibald Ave. 909-987-7335
- Montecito Apts. 11343 Mountain Ave. 909-941-0408
- Monterey Village 10244 Arrow Rte. 909-941-0408
- Mountain Vista 10400 Arrow Rte. 909-945-5588
- Pepperwood Apts. 9055 Foothill Blvd. 909-980-2447
- Terra Vista 10935 Terra Vista Pkwy. 909-989-8211
- Woodsong Village 8255 Vineyard Ave. 909-898-6363
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Scheduling a Tour
What to look for?
- Location
- If you are a light sleeper, don’t get an apartment next to train tracks or a highway
- Parking availability/safety
- What to ask?
- What to avoid?
- If the property manager/leasing office is hard to contact
- Maintenance is overlooked/ignored
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Deciding, Applying, and Signing a Lease
Applications
- Credit Report and Proof of Income
- Application Fees
- Application timeline
- Availability of apartments
- Letter of Proof of Residency – can be acquired through Pitzer Residence Life
Room/apartment-mates
- Make sure all living partners are in the know of application and signing processes.
Signing a lease
- Terms typically in a lease
- Move in/out dates and processes
- When rent is due
- Check to see if there is a grace period (generally a 3-5 day period after rent is due)
- How to make payments
- Maintenance practices
- Covered Utilities and costs
- Included furnishings
- Community practices and rules
- Process and costs to get out of the lease
Deposit and move in costs
- Depending on the leasor, there may be some combination of move in costs.
- First and/or last Month Payments – Additional months may be expected even before move in.
- Security Deposit (See more in Moving Out)
- An amount that is held by the leasor, and will be returned upon move out, depending on the costs of repair and cleaning needed.
- Highly accurate Room Condition Report processes and cleaning can assist in getting back as much deposit as possible
- Do not assume you will get your full deposit back as soon as you move out.
Renter’s Insurance
- Insurance in case personal items are damaged by large damage (e.g. Fire). Can be purchased by most insurance companies.
- Proof of insurance is often required in order to be approved, contact your insurance agent in order to receive proof of insurance.
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Moving In
Moving Truck Companies
- Considerations
- Scheduling and Availability
- Costs
- Any assistance in moving?
- Supplies (Boxes, tape, handtruck)
- Local Companies:
Key Pickup and Condition Report
- Be sure you know your time and place to pick up your keys.
- Take photos if there is damage from previous tenant (ie: holes in the wall, stains on carpet, etc.)
Mail
Setting up utilities
- Water, Sewer, Gas, Electric, Trash, Internet
- Each utility often has only one provider
- Credit Report – Some utilities will included reporting to Credit Agencies for payment history and upfront deposit considerations
- Some are covered by the landlord – check the lease
Furnishing your place
- Bed, dresser, couch, workspace
Common Initial Purchases
- Kitchen (Pans, dishes, sauces, spices, soaps)
- Food and cooking staples
- Bathroom (Shampoos, shower curtain, bathmat, soaps, toilet paper)
- Bedroom (mattress, bed, sheets, blankets/comforter, pillows)
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Living Off Campus - Budgets, Food, Transportation
Budgeting basics
- Fixed
- Rent
- Tuition and Fees
- Any Loans or Credit (Car, minimum credit card)
- Insurances (Car, renters, health)
- Registrations (Car, pet)
- Some Utilities are fixed (internet, trash, phone)
- Variable – Some Utilities Vary in cost month to month (Electricity, Water, etc.)
- Groceries
- Entertainment
- Unexpected expenses
Emergency Resources
- Campus Safety or 911
- Most time-sensitive emergencies that occur off campus should be communicated to 911.
- Most off-campus crimes should be communicated to the local police department. Campus Safety can assist if issue is not time-sensitive.
- Campus Resources still available
- Mounsour Counseling
- TCCS Campus Safety
- Pitzer Dean of Students
Transportation
- Types of transportation
- Walking
- Are you okay walking this at night? Check Lighting and local area
- What is surrounding the walk way? Quiet roads? Busy Roads?
- Any hills or change of elevation?
- Quality and presence of sidewalks.
- Presence and type of lighted road crossings.
- Personal Vehicle
- Bike/Board
- Know proper bike safety techniques and bike laws:
- What traffic laws are in regards to bikes
- bike lanes
- side of road
- full road access to bikes
- Please note: bikes are not legal usage on pedestrian sidewalks
- Public Transportation
- Financial Costs of transportation
- Maintenance
- Personal Vehicle
- Oil changes every 6 months/5000 miles
- Tire rotations/replacements
- Fluid replacements
- General age of the vehicle
- Bike
- Safety equipment,
- Bike supplies (tires, pumps, etc.)
- Green Bike Program
- Registration
- Insurance
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- Gas
- What fueling stations are available? Is this along your commute or out of the way?
- There are two fueling stations located near Pitzer’s campus, along foothill.
- Parking
- Luckily, Pitzer’s campus does not experience the same vehicle parking challenges that most larger institutions do.
- Ask yourself these questions for parking at Home, Campus, and Work places
- What parking is available at each place?
- How secure/sheltered is the parking?
- Does it cost an additional fee?
- How long does it take to find parking?
- How should I factor this into when I leave home?
- Security/Safety
- Evaluate your transportation safety:
- What do the roads/bike lanes/sidewalks look like
- Any stressful or dangerous intersections along the commute?
- Any non-lighted left turns required?
- Any low-visible/high speed turns?
- Any regular traffic/merge spots?
- Time
- Commute
- What is a typical commute to Campus and Work?
- How might this vary depending on your daily class schedule
- How much does commuting (SoCal traffic) add or reduce stress?
- How safe is the commute?
Food
- Where to buy groceries
- When choosing a place to live, consider what grocery stores are available in the local area
- What kind of transportation would be needed
- How to get groceries (or heavy items in general) into the unit.
- What kind of grocery items are available?
- General pricing of the grocery items, does this fit in your budget?
- Preparing your food
- How do you generally prepare your food?
- Does this unit have enough counter space for any appliance as well as food prep?
- Does this unit have enough storage space for dishes and appliances?
- Does the unit have a gas or electric oven? Is this important to you and any roommates?
- Does the unit have a dish washer? Is this important to you and any roommates?
Academic Breaks
- You still pay rent
- By signing a lease, you become financially responsible to cover the payments, regardless of how often and when you stay there.
- Leases often do not follow the academic calendar explicitly.
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Moving Out
Move out Date
- Be sure to confirm with your leasor (or the lease document) with:
- Your intended move out date.
- How to return any keys or ‘check out’.
- If there are any (per diem discounts/benefits) to moving out earlier.
Utilities
- Be sure to communicate with any and all utilities when you are moving out.
- You may be charged through the end of the month or any disconnection fees.
Mail
- Provide your leasor your forwarding address.
Cleaning
- Just like on campus, it is often expected that you move out with the housing looking as good as it did when you moved in.
- Often forgotten areas
- Sweep/clean/vacuum Floors
- Inside Microwave and Oven
- Any items left behind may be subject to trash fees
- Shower Curtains
- Under cupboards
- Shower/bath
Room Condition Report – Move out
- Just like when moving in, it is often recommended to document the area in some way when moving out. This can be taking photos of damage you know you caused, or the cleaned status of often hard to clean areas.
- You can remind/resend your leasor your documented issues you found upon move in and send your leasor your evaluation upon move out. This can help to keep as much of the deposit as possible.
Security Deposit
- If a security deposit was collected at the beginning of the lease, some amount will be available for return upon move out. Security Deposits are often seen as a declining value, with cleaning and repair services being evaluated and deducted from the full Security Deposit. Any remaining is often mailed to the former resident. Please be sure to stay in communication with the leasor in order to get any remaining deposit. Deposits often take one to three months to be evaluated and returned. It is not advised to depend on receiving the full amount of the deposit immediately upon move out.
